CNN: Hey, were Americans misled about the costs of ObamaCare?

posted at 5:21 pm on March 28, 2013 by Mary Katharine Ham

Things that could have been brought to our attention….three years ago!

This segment is a bit myopic, dealing mostly with whether Sec. Kathleen Sebelius said this (yes, she did) and one study that shows costs going up. But it’s decent as far as it goes, and we could have used a whole lot more such mildly critical reporting before the bill was passed.

Now, the truth can be told. Yes, advocates exclaim, some people’s premiums are of course going to go up! Duh, silly billies! That’s because we’re insuring more sick and old people and making those scofflaw young and healthy folks pay their fair share (i.e. far more than their low level of risk requires in a free market) to subsidize it. Also, the young and healthy we’re making buy insurance can only buy super-comprehensive coverage they don’t need, which is more expensive, but they’re really gonna love all the new services they get. Plus, subsidies will mask the cost of some of this.

A couple problems. That wasn’t the pitch for the bill. The pitch for the bill was that we would get more coverage for more people, AND premiums would go down, AND the health care cost curve would bend down for the government, AND it wouldn’t add a dime to the deficit, AND everyone who liked their insurance would be able to keep it. None of those things is true except for possibly more coverage for more people, and the jury remains out on that, even. Not everyone will qualify for subsidies, and woe betide those among the young and healthy who don’t for they will be paying for more coverage than they need, subsidizing everyone else’s coverage and subsidizing everyone else’s subsidies. And, finally, the extremely complicated formula and mechanism by which subsidies will be decided and delivered— more complicated and comprehensive than any the feds have built before— does not yet exist in any working form. But I’m sure it’ll work out just swimmingly.

Now, proponents will say I’m not allowing for the possibility that all of ObamaCare’s rosiest cost-reducing predictions could turn out to be true and even better than expected, and that the exchange system for delivery thereof will come together seamlessly in the next eight months. Frankly, if rooting for such things to come to pass brought them to fruition, proponents would have the coolest, most comprehensive, affordable Travelocity for health care evah right now. Merely asserting things will work out doesn’t overcome the logistical and economic obstacles the bill is encountering now that it has left the fevered minds of legislators and entered real life. And, hoping everything will work out also doesn’t help those who were relying on the president’s already broken promises of lower premiums and keeping their own insurance. Dealing honestly with the limitations and downsides of this bill would have been most helpful before it was passed, but remains necessary for those of us who will have to deal with them in the real world, where ObamaCare was never going to live up to all its expectations.

“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, ‘the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.”

And here’s what you need to know. First, I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits — either now or in the future. (Applause.) I will not sign it if it adds one dime to the deficit, now or in the future, period. And to prove that I’m serious, there will be a provision in this plan that requires us to come forward with more spending cuts if the savings we promised don’t materialize. (Applause.) Now, part of the reason I faced a trillion-dollar deficit when I walked in the door of the White House is because too many initiatives over the last decade were not paid for — from the Iraq war to tax breaks for the wealthy. (Applause.) I will not make that same mistake with health care.

Misled? Dunno, but we sure weren’t told the truth.

If America had a dime for everytime the President told us Obamacare wouldn’t add a dime to the deficit, the budget would be balanced.

In Canada UHC was done initially one province at a time and had the support of the people. Even conservatives love the HC system in Canada, contrary to the nonsense spewed in many conservative sites like this one. My point is that Dems passed this without support of the people and the costs aren’t being absorbed in a smooth and transitional way.

What may happen in a twist of irony is that Obama will be responsible for the elimination of any UHC in the US for years to come because of how badly managed it is. Only question is at what cost?

It was only the low-information, Obama phone-toting voter that was mislead due to their stupid and ignorant minds steeped in the fantasy and fallacies of liberalism. The rest were collaborators willing to dupe the mindless and soulless dweebs. Let them all wallow in their suffering and disgrace.

In Canada UHC was done initially one province at a time and had the support of the people. Even conservatives love the HC system in Canada, contrary to the nonsense spewed in many conservative sites like this one. My point is that Dems passed this without support of the people and the costs aren’t being absorbed in a smooth and transitional way.

MrX on March 28, 2013 at 5:27 PM

If the USA had UHC and no food stamps, subsidized housing, EITC, et al we would be in much better shape. I would gladly except Canada’s health care system if all other welfare programs were completely abolished. You can’t live off the government with free healthcare. You would have to work to pay the rent, eat, etc. which would result in much higher tax revenue per capita. Everyone would have skin in the game.

They haven’t managed Medicare well, paying out fraudulent claims right and left, buying scooters for anyone who wants one whether they need them or not. They’ve got millions of people on disability, some qualifying just because they have high blood pressure. The post office has been losing billions for decades, same with the railroad, and now they think they’re competent enough to go into the health care insurance business. What a crock.

Amazing that CNN now has awaken to the fact that Obama and others lied through their teeth to sell the american people a bill of goods. A lot of good used car sales people there I believe? There is no way in hell that more people, a lot who are dependent on Uncle Sam for handouts versus doing a honest days work for a honest days pay, could be given health care and it not cost more.

BO lied, as he seemingly does a lot of, the socialist in the Dem party lied, the various heads of government lied and they are still lying.

One item should have been a red flag to any taxpayer, but then there are so many low information people out there that it isn’t a surprise that they went along like sheep to the slaughter thinking everything was going to be wonderful because the President lied and lied and lied. Think about it, to show that Obama Care was not going to increase taxes or fees that people are going to be forced to pay what did the crooks do, oh not much, they just said they were going to rob a few hundred billion from medicate and move it over to Obama care. It’s like Dud, how dumb are you if you believed that?

Taking this a step further, many people have paid into Medicare with the promise that we would have medical help when we got old and retired. Now that billions have been robbed, actually hard to rob something that is not really there, think about social security bonds. Yes, SS bonds which are not worth the paper they are printed on. The government has made the promise that by us being forced to pay into SS all of our working lives that there would be monies there for when we retired. Well Congress and President Johnson stole all the real money and replaced it with bonds. Now Obama is going to steal our Medicare money, actually it’s already stolen, and replaced with what? Oh ya, that’s right, I remember, less medical services and death panels. Was in Romania a few years back. Asked about their medical system. Was told by our guide that up to the age of 70 it was pretty good but after 70 about all the old people got were crutches and pain pills instead of a hip replacement. So the bottom line is that those of us who have paid and paid and paid are now going to be given less medical care so that those who are sucking on the tit of government can suck even more out of the system. The young people of course are really getting the shaft by being forced to pay additional taxes, just ask John Roberts about that, again for less so that according to our President we have a situation that is more far to all.

Well, it’s simply amazing that CNN is now talking about the situation. How dumb are they? Actually it was probably more like how wonderful did they think that clown was that seemed to be the answer to all problems so we really do need to lick his boots so the boot of government is not pressed any harder against their neck. It was quite interesting when my 15 year old grand daughter asked the question not that long ago, how is this going to be paid for. She really got a funny look on her face when I told her she and all her friends were going to have to give a lot more of the money they earn when they go to work so the government can give it to people who don’t want to work. She understood helping those who are sick or who are handicapped but didn’t think it was very fair for the government to take money from those who have earned it and then give it to a bunch of freeloaders. Yep, a 15 year old understood what was happening but seemingly a whole lot of adults as well as CNN were simply too stupid to understand what was really transpiring, trying to rob from those who have and give it to those who do not have. Hummmmmmmmmmm, wonder if that equates to vote buying?

Yep, if people had even begun to think about it, there is no way that anyone is going to get something for nothing. There is no free lunch for anyone even though the President said so. Of course, as we all know now he had no problem as well as many in congress, of lying to try and pull the wool over our eyes.

Well, many voted for the finically illiterate President so I hope those of you who actually worked for a living are going to enjoy your reduced standard of living so those who are takers from the producers can also now have a piece of the pie. Think BO calls that being fair. His definition is a lot different than mine.

Yep, he is a great man isn’t he? Just try to remember next time he opens his mouth that what comes out isn’t always the truth. If you want to believe it go ahead but any thinking human being should be able to ascertain what is what and that there is not a free lunch at the end of the day.

Enjoy but hold onto your wallet because Obama and his buddies are coming after any that you might have been able to keep locked away so they can continue to feed the takers so they will continue to vote for those who have no problem taking from people who actually earned their money. Great system, enjoy.

The rubber meets the road in the Fall when the whole scheme implodes technically. This rube Goldberg cluster fiesta can not be accomplished in the time available, given it’s complexity and without documentation of the policy, practice and fiscal issues themselves which are far from complete. They won’t even have this fiasco on paper by then.

That last is an important point because the administration loves to blame quickly rising premiums on evil insurance companies

“No. Those prices are rising because Israel is building settlements in the territories and in and around Al Quds.” — The Barky Administration

I didn’t bother watching any of the clips from this CNN “report”. It’s laughable that anyone would have thought that you could dump tens of millions of people into the system and not have prices rise – especially as you are yanking financial incentives out of the system. It’s pathetic that anyone could have even argued this BS with a straight face.

Of course, Barky promised people that his health scare would “reduce premiums by 3000%!!” so it’s difficult to underestimate the stupidity of those who believe anything the retard says. Barky can’t even comprehend any number greater than 20 … the genius with the “profit AND earnings ratios” … the guy still couldn’t pass an 8th grade math test, and yet, what-used-to-be America allowed this ineligible third world imbecile to totally screw everything up, in direct contravention of the Constitution and Americanism, aided and abetted in this moronic treason by Benedict Roberts and a cast of other lunatics and criminals.

Screw all these people. I want a national divorce and to be rid of them for good. I share nothing with any of these slime. Let them bake in the hell they are so determined to create. I never signed up to live in such a country and America and Americans were guaranteed and promised in our Constitution that we would never have to be part of such a nation. It’s time to split.

If CNN cared to look beyond the one Society of Actuaries study it allows the White House to trash as insurance-industry aligned, they’d find plenty of studies from the government itself that show overall health care costs rising, individual premiums rising, and costs higher over the next 10 years than they would have been without passing ObamaCare.

You don’t really expect honest reporting from the Commie News Network do you Mary Katherine? Honesty is not what got them the lousy ratings they worked so hard for.

The media might need six paragraph explanations in order that they may understand a basic and obvious point about economics, but the rest of us understood without the experience of the last three years godawful increases in prices.

Removing price discipline from the market, guaranteeing profitability to so-called “insurance” companies, really just delegated claims administrators now, and to provider organizations of favored size and type, and ithen nvolving a massive new federal bureaucracy in the delivery and payment stream, is a recipe for disaster of the worst kind. Raising massive new taxes, impeding innovation and cutting payments to doctors, all while imposing enormous paperwork burdens on everyone from the patient straight through to the payers, similarly is obviously a disaster. Surely, even a Jeapordy failure and his bozo colleagues can understand the obvious?

How hard is this really, CNN? You may be proving yourselves to be morons but at least try to keep your last shred of dignity! Act like good propagandists right up to the end; at this point you resemble the orchestra on the Titanic more than a new organization, so try to keep playing the tune on key even as we all sink beneath the frickin waves.

I don’t know what the hell is going on with the WSJ. They’ve become administration shills. It’s enough to make one believe the one world conspiracy claims (worse, that the culmination is getting near, if even the WSJ is carrying water for Obama…).

I don’t know what the hell is going on with the WSJ. They’ve become administration shills.
fabrexe on March 28, 2013 at 7:59 PM

The only conservative section of the WSJ is the opinion pages. The rest of it is left of center or just plain leftist. It is why I won’t buy a subscription. If you want real conservatism, check out Investors Business Daily.

First Liberals never retreat. So any of them who are now admitting the obvious are only doing so because it is the next step on the road to a single payer system. That is, first complain about how bad things are, then label it a crisis, then pass a hodge-podge bill that is expensive and doesn’t really do much to help, then go back to step one and repeat the whole process until there is a complete government take over. But never cut any program, never admit any guilt and never, ever, take a step back.

If CNN cared to look beyond the one Society of Actuaries study it allows the White House to trash as insurance-industry aligned,

So, howcome is it that any study that was funded by the industry that actually works in the field is evil, but if it is a government funded study, we should view that study as pure as the wind driven snow? What, the government funding the study doesn’t have its own agenda? Like increasing government size and power? So why are government funded studies viewed as “impartial”?

“For some people who have somewhat skimpy insurance plans,who will essentially have to trade up to get better coverage under Obamacare,that there may be more cost associated with that”

What a great way to expand access coverage to those who can’t afford it! A law that increases the cost of low cost health insurance policies is a sure way to get low income people to purchase coverage.

I do not think that information misled by the Republicans on Obamacare. The Democrats misled when they were not open or honest about the Affordable Care Act. For one thing it is going to cost the taxpayer and it will effect the deficit. If the Democrats were not up to being deceitful, they would have been open and included Republicans. They claimed to be this but they were not. They kept adding to the bill and never did really put it out for the public to follow and have some input. I hope that the Congress repeals it. the people need tocall their Congressman about repealing it.